Match Previews: Ligue 1 (November 10)

Les Girondins’ second consecutive victory in their most recent outings reassured them of an improved form this season. Bordeaux defeated Nice 1-2 when they visited the Allianz Riviera last week, and at the back of that was also a victory that they obtained by thrashing Montpellier on a clean sheet. The successes boosted the side’s confidence to aim higher in their future battles, and they worked hard enough to jump four spots toward the table’s top nine as of the current week. Their last two matches were particularly meaningful for Ludovic Obraniak, who netted a goal on both occasions.

Nantes

After four weeks of triumph, Nantes have finally tasted defeat when they met Lille at the Stade de la Beaujoire, 0-1. The upset was later moderately pacified by draw with Montpellier 1-1, and was good enough to keep their traction in the fourth spot strong. Thus far, the side have been in their best league positions the past three weeks, that is in spite of their recent mishaps. Michel Der Zakarian would look into more strategies to improve his men’s skills in creating chances as well as find a much stronger ground to maintain what they do best: setting counter attacks.

Football betting tip: This fixture could turn out to be a thriller. Bordeaux and Nantes are both well-endowed with the adeptness at stealing the ball from their opponents, but the former are less skilled at attacking down the wings. The hosts are also very weak at defending against through ball attacks which may be seen by the visitors as an opportunity to worsen Bordeaux’s loopholes. Nantes will eventually win this battle despite the certainty of a tight clash.

With Ayew, Fanni, and Mendes sidelined, Marseille’s defensive mechanisms could just get worse. The side have been performing rather badly in the last few weeks, succumbing to the prowess of such clubs as PSG, Nice, and Reims as well as producing a lame stalemate with Rennes. Nonetheless, Les Phocéens remain a major threat to most of the league’s participants. They have in fact, led the tournament once this season and they have never fallen out of the top six since opening day. Vincent Labrune will make sure that in his men’s future tourneys, a much more steadfast ability to finish scoring chances would materialize.

Sochaux

Buried deep in the league’s abyss for 10 consecutive weeks now and with a great deal of players sidelined, Sochaux will have a tremendously hard time picking themselves out of the most dreaded sections of the league table. Their best position this season was not even within the top 10 and they have already conceded more goals than any of their neighbors in the relegation zone. Les Lionceaux are very good at creating long shot opportunities, but their inability to finish those scoring chances prevent them from finding the net. Precision and creativity in their playing methods are what Hervé Renard must have to work on before his men could gain more confidence in the pitch.

Online betting tip: Confronting players who have never been in the table’s bottom half could be a tall order for the struggling Sochaux. Marseille are the apparent favorites to win in this joist, and supporting them on odds between 1.92 and 2.00 could yield agreeable results.

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Saint Etienne vs. Lyon

Match Date: 10 November 2013 (local)

Match Venue: Stade Geoffrey-Guichard

Saint Etienne

Despite losing in four matches this season, Saint Etienne never went outside the top eight. The troupe have been showing a strong run in the tournament, even much stronger than what they displayed in their first 12 fixtures from last season.

Les Verts’ last three Ligue 1 tourneys helped them pick up five points—from one victory and two draws—for their streak. Of those matches, Benjamin Corgnet donated two goals. The goal-less draw they had most recently saw Kurt Zouma sent off after displaying a clumsy tackle on one of their opponents’ players.

Lyon

Unlike last season, this term has quite been more difficult for Lyon. The side are currently placed in the table’s 12th spot, which is a very noticeable decline from Les Gones’ top position last term on the same match week. The side’s offense is turning pale, while their defense against through ball attacks remains unimpressive. They are, however, still very good at creating chances through individual skill. They are also good at attacking set pieces as well as protecting the lead. For the team to regain their momentum in the French top-tier league, Rémi Garde must pay substantial attention on defending counter attacks, which is one of the departments that Lyon are least remarkable.

Football betting tip: Both sides are fond of taking plenty of long shots, but Saint Etienne’s effectiveness at attacking down left could be their key to thrash aggressive Lyon. The home side may succeed in this challenge. However, they cannot achieve it without sweating. Wagering on Saint Etienne between 1.78 and 2.16 can be worth the risk.